RAMALLAH, West Bank — Leila Shahid, the groundbreaking Palestinian diplomat who became the first woman to represent Palestine in ambassadorial roles across Europe, has passed away in France at age 76. Her death marks the conclusion of an extraordinary career spanning some of the most volatile periods in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas commemorated Shahid as an exemplary figure whose diplomatic service embodied “the values of freedom, justice and peace.” Through the official WAFA news agency, Abbas noted that she maintained unwavering dedication to her people’s cause throughout her life.
Born in Beirut in 1949 during the aftermath of Israel’s establishment—which displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians—Shahid’s heritage traced to Jerusalem and northern Israel. Her early humanitarian work in Palestinian refugee camps preceded her academic pursuits in Paris, where she embarked on doctoral studies in anthropology during the 1970s. Her leadership qualities emerged early when she was elected head of the Palestinian student union in France in 1976.
Shahid’s diplomatic career was forged amidst tragedy and conflict. She returned to Beirut during the horrific 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, where Israeli-backed Lebanese Christian militias slaughtered hundreds of Palestinian refugees. This experience undoubtedly shaped her resolve in international representation.
Her historic appointment as Palestine’s first female ambassador came in 1989 with her posting to Ireland, followed by a transfer to the Netherlands the subsequent year. From 1993 to 2005, she served as Palestinian envoy to France, navigating both the optimistic peace process era and the tumultuous second intifada that erupted in 2000. She was present with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during his final days before his 2004 death in a French military hospital.
Shahid’s diplomatic service extended until 2014 through her representation to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Beyond diplomacy, she contributed academically as longtime director of “The Review of Palestinian Studies,” a French-language journal examining the historical dimensions of the conflict.